After originally signing with the Jets in free agency, Anthony Barr changed his mind and re-signed with the Vikings. The captain can now continue to be an important part of Minnesota’s future.
The dust has settled, free agency has cooled down, and it seems like the next step is the NFL draft. Teams are now picking up depth players in free agency, as the big-name players have found their new homes.
All Minnesota Vikings fans can sleep easy now knowing that the savior of the Vikings has chosen to stay. It was a sad night for Viking fans when news broke that Anthony Barr had chosen to sign with the Jets. Barr was the first pick in the Mike Zimmer era, a centerpiece of the dominate Vikings defense, and a captain on the team– but he was leaving. Did Anthony Barr choose the Jets over the beloved Vikings? It was a tough pill to swallow, and just seemed to further the point that the Kirk Cousins signing would make it almost impossible to keep the core on the team. Whether you were Barr’s biggest fan or even one of his biggest critics, it was a huge blow to the defense.
However, the power of Mike Zimmer, the culture, and teammates caused Barr to have a change of heart. Barr was rumored to have backed out of his agreement with the Jets, and sure enough, agreed to come back to the Vikings. This was a huge keep for the Vikings, not only because they maintain a core player with the Cousins contract, but because they got their captain back. Mike Zimmer got his pride and joy back. His first ever first-round pick agreed to continue his career with the Vikings, and hopefully will be a key piece in achieving what no other Vikings team has ever done–win the coveted Lombardi Trophy.
Anthony Barr is now the hero of the team; he is even more of a fan favorite than before. He chose the good guys, and the fans no longer have to sadly place their 55 jerseys in their closet for all of eternity, or throw it away or burn it, which doesn’t make sense anyhow. Number 55 is here to stay, the face of the “Zim Reapers” remains. If any Vikings fan said Barr deciding to take a lower salary to stay with the purple and gold didn’t get them pumped up for the season to start, they lied. Come time for the first home game, there better be Barr jerseys as far as the eye can see.
